Sunday 28 December 2003 The Electronic Telegraph Simon Hart
Last year may have been his first full season on the senior circuit, but it is time for Mark Lewis-Francis to grow in stature. One of the 21-year-old's most common excuses for defeat last year was that he was still learning his craft, though the sight of 18-year-old Darell Brown, from Trinidad and Tobago, dipping for the 100 metres silver at the World Championships in Paris delivered a wake-up call. With his British rival, Dwain Chambers, heading for the wilderness and elder statesmen such as Maurice Greene and Tim Montgomery showing no sign of recapturing their old spark, the time is ripe for the Birmingham sprinter to show the kind of form that once led 1996 Olympic champion Donovan Bailey to describe him as "simply the most phenomenal and exciting athlete I have seen in my life". Lewis-Francis is aware of the importance of a year in which all roads lead to Athens in August. He admits he made mistakes last season, chasing too many pots of gold at international meetings, but this time there will be no repeat. "I did too much," he says. "I was knackered when it came to the World Championships. I won't be making the same mistake next year." His Paris campaign ended in elimination from the 100m semi-finals, but he is determined to put the record straight in Greece, where he will need to find another gear if he is to overcome the likes of Brown, American Justin Gatlin and world champion Kim Collins, of St Kitts and Nevis - not to mention his British team-mate, Darren Campbell. He has already rung the changes by teaming up with 60m indoor specialist Jason Gardener and 200m runner Christian Malcolm, and he has adopted a new, intensive training regime - including regular massages and ice baths - to answer critics who have questioned his commitment. "I've changed a lot of things," he says. "I'm training harder. I've started doing weight sessions. I'm training every day. I've stopped being a lazy boy. I'm more dedicated now." UK Athletics, the British governing body, are desperate for a new star to emerge in Athens, where only Paula Radcliffe could be described as a gold medal "probable". In a lean period for the domestic sport, Lewis-Francis is one of the few capable of carrying the nation's hopes. "I said 2004 would be my Olympic year," he says. "Some said Mark Lewis-Francis wouldn't be around then, but I'm still here and I believe I can be Olympic champion." Eamonn Condon [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.553 / Virus Database: 345 - Release Date: 12/18/2003
